Music Notes

by Shannon Butler

There is no question that music has the power to evoke emotion in people. It can sway feelings as easily as the wind can sway the branches on the trees. This is why people in the film industry love their music. There is only so much that an actor or actress can convey in one scene. Even the most stellar acting job can’t tune in a person’s senses the way a song can, hence the reason music is added - to fill in the gaps, and to get the viewer in tune with the intended mood of the movie.

Song choices for a movie are ones that must be made carefully. Picture a fast pace car chase scene in an action movie. Almost always there’s an equally fast-paced song to go with it, one that gets your heart pounding and forces you to the edge of your seat. The effect just wouldn’t be the same if there was light jazz playing in the background. A Beastie Boys song in place of Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” in the movie Titanic wouldn’t exactly cause anyone watching to burst into tears. Now, if there’s one person who knows exactly the song to fit into the scene of a movie, that person would have to be Dan Elfman.

Dan Elfman is a composing genius. He has written the soundtracks for hundreds of movies. Do any of these titles sound familiar: The Night­mare Before Christmas, Batman, Copse Bride, Beetlejuice, Spiderman, Mission Impossible, Edward Scissorhands, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Chicago? Dan Elfman is the mastermind behind all these block­buster movie soundtracks, and that’s just a small portion of the list of his work. His work has earned him a Grammy and plenty of well deserved Oscar nominations.

The next time you find yourself watching a movie, pause your pop­corn binge and just listen. Listen to the music in any given scene. You’ll see just how powerful an impact it has. Whether it makes you laugh, scares you to death, or makes you cry - music has an uncanny way of messing with emotions. Without it a movie just wouldn’t be a movie.

Book Club

by Rachel Siford

 the Mainely Girls Book Club meets once a month after school in the library. The meetings are informal, with both teachers and students joining in the discussion.   Each month a different book, chosen at the beginning of the year is read by the group.  This year we have read:

•  A Room on Larelei Street by Mary Pearson is about the struggles of a high school girl who moves out of her mother's house and gets her own apartment. 

• Hanging on to Max by Margaret Bechard is about Sam Pettigrew, who is spending his senior year dealing with midnight feeds and diaper rash, as well as grades and girls. 

• Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons is the story of a young girl who takes steps to find a family to belong to.  

Not only do we enjoy reading the books, but talking about them together makes reading them even more interesting.  If you enjoy reading, or just talking about books, listen for announcements and join us in the library for our next book - Rose

Illustration by Brittany McDougal

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